prather lap cat II need help!

[iridebikes247]

Hey guys, I am more of a point-it-straight cat person, so might need some help.

I am helping out a good friend with building a prather hull. He has got QUITE a few of them, being Lap cat I, II, and III

I feel like the lap cat II is probably the best bet for electric. Would it be possible to put the proboat outboard leg on this hull? Or am I better off finding a K&B 7.5cc leg and doing a conversion plate for brushless?

The Lap Cat II I know was an awesome, formidable competitor a few years ago so I imagine it can handle some power. Thinking a leopard 4082 1400kv on 6s2p with seaking 180...again I am not a hydro guy but after seeing these boats run I feel like I have been slighting myself in the hobby.

Thanks guys.

[Fluid]

The LapCats are not hydros, just wide catamarans with an outboard and flatter sponsons. They were reasonably competitive thirty years ago, but were far from dominators; most required a turn fin to prevent spinouts. IMO the LapCat II is too small for 6S, it is a 4S boat by today's standards. Get the large OB lower unit for the III, your motor choice is probably okay. I assume your buddy is not a racer but a sport boater, so he should be happy with the boat's handling in non-racing water.


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[iridebikes247]

ok so I will go down to 4s, thanks Jay for some history on this hull.

Yeah the friend I am helping always ran a turn fin on the bottom which helped tremendously. The lap cat 3, at 36 inches is pretty big. does it take a ton more power to push over a lap cat 2?

If this was a SAW cat I would say not really....but it isn't. so again any help is appreciated

[Fluid]

Most successful 4S FE OBs are between 30"-32" in length, sometimes shorter for Limited-powered hulls. 36" is just fine for 6S power, even for racing most 6S boats are that large or larger. The LapCat III was run on 7.5 cc power originally, most who tried larger 11cc motors agreed that the hull couldn't really use that much power. Another advantage of the III is a larger hull for greater ease in placing components. It will handle rougher water too. But it really depends on what your friend wants out of the boat.



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[iridebikes247]

Nice, thanks Jay I think the lap cat 3 is the direction to go in. seems like some guys make them again with a gelcoat finish I might take a look into those too.

[HTVboats]

With anything larger than a 36X74 motor for an outboard I would strongly recommend a 7.5 K&B lower. 4S or 6S it will stabilize a marginal hull. A 40X84 or 1520 size 1400-1600kv on 6S will outperform a .45-.67 nitro motor so use a hull that was designed for that power. Length is a guideline as tunnel width and depth factor in, plus the sponson design. I have a 32" tunnel that runs in rough water better than most 36-38" hulls
As for the Lap Cats, back in the day they ran well when all there was were Hot Shots for competition. Better designs soon made them lap-dogs. They will convert to FE but don't expect to run fast in turns. Nicely styled and will make a "sport" boat.
Mic